Why do people carry in the home?

JayP228 · September 7, 2006, 09:34 PM

I got the impression from the AD mea culpa thread that some TFL members are never without their guns. Even if lying on the couch. Why?

I don't want a gun on the couch with me. Or at the dinner table. Am I just living in ivory tower suburbia where having my gun loaded but unchamberd and up in the bedroom is enough? It seems to me the more my gun is carried around, the more likely an AD becomes.

Do those of you who carry 24/7 live in neighborhoods where BGs are likely to bust in at any time? Do you have lots of enemies because of your job or whatnot?

I hope this thread doesn't come across wrong. I'm not being critical at all. I'm curious and wondering if my approach to this is wrong.

Thanks.

tony pasley · September 7, 2006, 09:50 PM

for some it is getting comfortable with carring a firearm, others it could be that it is not even thought of when a person gets home, others may not live in good nieghborhood

Quintin · September 7, 2006, 09:53 PM

Once upon a time in my area, there was a rash of home invasions; I want to be sure to "greet" these unwelcome guests if necessary.

And when I first started carrying, I carried a lot around the house just to get comfortable with it. It's just force of habit now - I feel incomplete with my CCW.

Series 70 · September 7, 2006, 09:58 PM

Last summer in a nearby affluent suburb, a home was broken into at about 8:30pm and the residents beaten and robbed.

A few months ago another home in another neaby suburb was invaded by goblins mistaking the resident for someone else. He survived, but spent a week or so in the hospital.

These two cases come quickly to mind, but there are many more examples out there. More than enough reasons to carry at home.

I also find that I don't forget my pistol when I run errands if it's always on my belt.

rhino · September 7, 2006, 10:09 PM

1. I don't know when I will need my gun. If I did, I would be somewhere else at the time. Serious home invasions may not be common, but all it takes is one time.
2. If I need it, I will need it immediately and I may not have time to even take a couple of steps to where something is "stashed."
3. If it's on my person, it is always in my control, so I don't have to worry about unauthorized access.

Essentially I carry when I'm at home for the same reasons I carry when I'm not at home.

Don H · September 7, 2006, 10:30 PM

Quote:

It seems to me the more my gun is carried around, the more likely an AD becomes.

Why would there be a greater chance for an AD/ND? If you don't take it out of the holster and play with it, it shouldn't make any difference how long you're wearing the gun.

BillCA · September 7, 2006, 11:17 PM

+1 Dan!

With your firearm in a quality holster that covers the triggerguard, there's the same chance of an AD as when you carry outdoors -- little to speak of.

+1 on the readiness factor too.
Your neighborhood may not be subject to invasion-style robberies, but what about somone knocking on your door at 9pm? Or the appearance of someone at the side/back kitchen screen door?

Dreadnought · September 7, 2006, 11:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rhino

1. I don't know when I will need my gun. If I did, I would be somewhere else at the time. Serious home invasions may not be common, but all it takes is one time.
2. If I need it, I will need it immediately and I may not have time to even take a couple of steps to where something is "stashed."
3. If it's on my person, it is always in my control, so I don't have to worry about unauthorized access.

Essentially I carry when I'm at home for the same reasons I carry when I'm not at home.

x2. Well put.

Raytracer · September 7, 2006, 11:24 PM

See also, the Clutter family circa 1959.

Joe

azurefly · September 7, 2006, 11:29 PM

Quote:

I don't want a gun on the couch with me. Or at the dinner table. Am I just living in ivory tower suburbia where having my gun loaded but unchamberd and up in the bedroom is enough? It seems to me the more my gun is carried around, the more likely an AD becomes.

Living in south Florida, and reading the news avidly, I have seen numerous reports of home invasion robberies that have left the victims beaten and bound, or worse. And I am talking about in every kind of neighborhood from crappy rental crack-infested areas on up through gated communities where the homes go for $800,000!

NO ONE is immune. Not the millionaires, and not me. So I try to have a gun on me or nearby as much as possible.

As far as risk of AD/ND being increased just by having the gun there on the couch, um, why? Will you be fiddling with the gun irresponsibly? Won't it just be holstered or whatever? (In my case, it's in a shoulder satchel bag. Doesn't come out unless to clean, practice, or use defensively.)

I think that yes, if you think you live in a place that is "ivory towered suburbia" and that home invasion crime can't touch you, you are making a mistake in judgment. It may be directly because you are in "safe suburbia" that your home is selected to be victimized.

If you really believe that the more you carry your gun around, the more likely you are to have an ND, then you are doing something wrong and your subconscious is telling you to look into it.

-azurefly

skeeter1 · September 8, 2006, 12:37 AM

I've only carried in my home on a couple of occassions. On one, there were cops with guns drawn circling around the house behind me. Turned out to be a false alarm, but I locked the doors and stuffed the .38 in my pocket. I can't recall the exact details of the other occasion, but there was a teenager party across the street (I don't think the parents were home). When I got up the next morning there were several beer bottles, a tampon, and a used condom left on my treelawn. It was a fairly rowdy party, and someone eventuallly called the police (not me) and the cops shut it down.

I rarely carry in the house, but I do keep a loaded snubby in my bedroom, close at hand.

divemedic · September 8, 2006, 10:01 AM

http://www.kokomotribune.com/local/l...248133338.html

atlctyslkr · September 8, 2006, 10:03 AM

I don't carry but I keep something within easy access. Crime is up in my area and a block from me the cops caught a guy trying to pick a back door lock about two weeks ago. This was early evening when people were obviously home. Since I don't have any children it's no sweat to keep an 870 chambered and stacked at all times.

cloudcroft · September 8, 2006, 11:54 AM

JayP228,

I also think that havng a particular mindset to carry all the time is either in you -- part of your psychological makeup -- or it isn't...as the saying goes, for the former individual, no explanation is necessary and for the latter, no explanation will really suffice.

Personally, I carry ALL the time EVERYWHERE I go, and on my person at home. Lying on the couch or in the bathroom, it doesn't matter...it's always there.

Am I paranoid?

Don't think so, and so far the VA doctors haven't labeled me as such, but I do admit that lots of "regular" folks probably think so...probably, that is, until THEY find themselves in trouble -- which can happen ANY time -- and then realize, hopefully not too late, that maybe there really IS a point to all this after all.

-- John D.

Wildalaska · September 8, 2006, 12:06 PM

I base my life on probabilities, therefore, I wear a Kevalr helmet to protect from meteor impacts instead of carrying in my house.

WildilovethesethreadsAlaska

JayP228 · September 8, 2006, 12:06 PM

Thanks. I guess I knew the central theme of the replies I would get, but I don't think there's been an armed robbery in my Township in the 20+ years I've lived here. Maybe I feel too safe.

As for the AD, I guess I wasn't being clear. When I take a nap on the couch, I am OUT! If I had younger kids than I do, I'd worry that a gun would be an attrractive and shiny toy to them. I wasn't suggesting I like to practice twirling on the couch.

MK11 · September 8, 2006, 12:08 PM

I sleep with one eye open and my hand taped to the stock of a cut-down Stoeger coach gun.

Everybody decideds for themselves when it's appropriate. Personally, if I felt the need to carry every waking moment in my own home, I'd move. I'm counting on locks, dogs and general awareness to give me enough time to access a firearm. Some people here would call that naive. Other people might call that paranoid. Figure out your own comfort level.

IZinterrogator · September 8, 2006, 12:19 PM

I just don't feel like taking it off when I get home and putting it back on when I leave. Call me lazy.

Larry Ashcraft · September 8, 2006, 12:40 PM

My gun goes on when my pants do. I don't consciously think about "Might I need a gun in this situation?". It's just always there.

Of course, I don't sleep with pants on, but there is a 1911 within reach, and a shotgun a couple steps away.

As my CCW trainer said:

Quote:

Always carry the same gun, in the same place, and ALWAYS carry it.

OJ · September 8, 2006, 12:50 PM

Hardly a day goes by without at least a newspaper here reporting a "home invasion" - frequently with armed "invaders" and associated violence so, to me at least, the answer to the question of "why" is nearly a no-brainer - beats suddenly having to remember where your PD weapon is while stressed by armed threats.

The other thing is that I not only don't find concealed carry (5" government model 45 ACP) uncomfortable - rather comforting to me. I'll admit that, since I retired some 12 years ago, I wear t-shirts or sweat shirts that conceal the pistol. When I get a date and go out socially (with my wife, of course - who else would date an 80 year old retired surgeon?) I wear a coat & tie so the concealed weapon is always concealed. Otherwise, if I'm not in bed or the shower, my Series 70 Colt Government Model 45 ACP (one or the other - I have a spare one) is with me and I'm not even aware of it any more than any other part of my apparel such as boots or trousers and belt.

I also use my seat belt and wear my motorcycle helmet always - even if I'm not leaving the immediate neighborhood. Seems comparable to me.

I've handled guns at least weekly since I got my first .22 bolt rifle for my 6th birthday in 1932 and have never had an ND (AD) - YET - it could happen any day I let my guard down so I remain vigilant and careful. NDs don't happen due to frequent gun handling but are due to lack of attention to safety rules and practices -IMNSHO

I'm also very personally attached to these and like proximity to one at least.

RickB · September 8, 2006, 01:03 PM

A buddy was standing in his kitchen, making lunch, when a guy burst through the open side door and beat him to the ground. It's a nice neighborhood, my buddy is a nice guy, but if a roommate hadn't been home to break it up, I'd think a gun might have come in handy. Even though such events are statistically unlikely (as is being involved in a fatal car accident, for instance), that odesn't mean one isn't better off being prepared for such an occurence (seat belt fastened?).

**Bud Helms** · September 8, 2006, 04:32 PM

It's already been said, but if you know when you will need your weapon, you'd know when to carry and when it wasn't really necessary. Real life isn't The Highlander, where your dangerous enemies honor Holy ground. There's nothing special about your home to a goblin. That's why they call it breaking and entering or burglary. Because it is a transgression onto and into someone's private property and life with intent, or at least willingness, to harm. If we all had a crystal ball, we could get up in the morning, gaze into it and say, "Yup, I'm gonna need my pistol about 1:30 PM, 'cause some one's gonna try to rob me on the way back from lunch." OR ... I could look into that crystal ball and see my future til the day I die and see that I'll never come within a mile of any violence or intent to cause harm to me or my family. In that case I could sell all my carry choices and just keep the ones I enjoy at the range and for hunting.

'Problem is, we don't know and we chose to be prepared. Now, you must also be prepared to not be prepared. That is, a pistol on your hip does not make you alert or create a protective aura around you. It does not make you invulnerable or invisible. It just gives you another choice.

In today's world of goblins that will have their way with sheep, it can make the difference. Better to have it and never need it than to need it once and not have it.

Double Naught Spy · September 8, 2006, 05:00 PM

Quote:

I don't want a gun on the couch with me. Or at the dinner table. Am I just living in ivory tower suburbia where having my gun loaded but unchamberd and up in the bedroom is enough? It seems to me the more my gun is carried around, the more likely an AD becomes.

If you have a properly functioning gun in a proper holster, you don't have a chance of an AD while you are on the couch or at the dinner table, especially as in your case, where you don't have a round in the chamber.

You don't want it on the couch or at the table? Why not? If worn properly, it is just like another piece of clothing.

Funny thing how you are actually more vulnerable at home than you are on the street given that on the street you are armed, but at home you are not and potentially don't even have the gun in the same room with you.

bobhwry · September 8, 2006, 05:47 PM

I firmly believe that the questions about Whether to Carry?, How to Carry?, and When to Carry? are all very personal choices that depend on many factors like perceived risk, your family situation, your level of expertise and comfort, enviroment etc. I feel blessed that we live in a country where those choices are still available to us.There is no "one size fits all" answer to these questions, each one of us needs to decide for ourselves. I personally don't subscribe to the mentality that their's a BG around every corner or behind every tree.That's a little too paranoid for me and would alter my lifestyle in ways that I choose not to accept.
I keep a gun in my car, keep one on the bed stand and for me feel adequately protected. Having one in my pocket or on my hip at all times is overkill for me.
If it works for you that's great and I won't question your right to do so.

John28226 · September 8, 2006, 07:19 PM

I am the person that responds to alarms at my company - I always have a gun either on my belt or at my side. Since I don't have a crystal ball and cannot predict exactly when I will need to be armed, it makes sense to me to always be armed!

I am insured 24/7 too. Most of the time I don't need my insurance. I'll let those who know when they will need whatever they will need it be the ones to do differently.

John
Charlotte, NC

September 7, 2006, 09:34 PM	#1
JayP228 Member Join Date: September 3, 2006 Posts: 21	Why do people carry in the home? I got the impression from the AD mea culpa thread that some TFL members are never without their guns. Even if lying on the couch. Why? I don't want a gun on the couch with me. Or at the dinner table. Am I just living in ivory tower suburbia where having my gun loaded but unchamberd and up in the bedroom is enough? It seems to me the more my gun is carried around, the more likely an AD becomes. Do those of you who carry 24/7 live in neighborhoods where BGs are likely to bust in at any time? Do you have lots of enemies because of your job or whatnot? I hope this thread doesn't come across wrong. I'm not being critical at all. I'm curious and wondering if my approach to this is wrong. Thanks.

September 7, 2006, 11:17 PM	#7
BillCA Senior Member Join Date: November 28, 2004 Location: Silicon Valley, Ca Posts: 7,117	+1 Dan! With your firearm in a quality holster that covers the triggerguard, there's the same chance of an AD as when you carry outdoors -- little to speak of. +1 on the readiness factor too. Your neighborhood may not be subject to invasion-style robberies, but what about somone knocking on your door at 9pm? Or the appearance of someone at the side/back kitchen screen door? __________________ BillCA in CA (Unfortunately)

September 8, 2006, 12:19 PM	#18
IZinterrogator Senior Member Join Date: November 8, 2004 Location: Prescott Valley, AZ Posts: 2,457	I just don't feel like taking it off when I get home and putting it back on when I leave. Call me lazy. __________________ "If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude than the animated contest of freedom, go from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains sit lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen!” - Samuel Adams

September 8, 2006, 12:50 PM	#20
OJ Senior Member Join Date: December 25, 1998 Location: COLORADO SPRINGS, CO, USA Posts: 1,570	Hardly a day goes by without at least a newspaper here reporting a "home invasion" - frequently with armed "invaders" and associated violence so, to me at least, the answer to the question of "why" is nearly a no-brainer - beats suddenly having to remember where your PD weapon is while stressed by armed threats. The other thing is that I not only don't find concealed carry (5" government model 45 ACP) uncomfortable - rather comforting to me. I'll admit that, since I retired some 12 years ago, I wear t-shirts or sweat shirts that conceal the pistol. When I get a date and go out socially (with my wife, of course - who else would date an 80 year old retired surgeon?) I wear a coat & tie so the concealed weapon is always concealed. Otherwise, if I'm not in bed or the shower, my Series 70 Colt Government Model 45 ACP (one or the other - I have a spare one) is with me and I'm not even aware of it any more than any other part of my apparel such as boots or trousers and belt. I also use my seat belt and wear my motorcycle helmet always - even if I'm not leaving the immediate neighborhood. Seems comparable to me. I've handled guns at least weekly since I got my first .22 bolt rifle for my 6th birthday in 1932 and have never had an ND (AD) - YET - it could happen any day I let my guard down so I remain vigilant and careful. NDs don't happen due to frequent gun handling but are due to lack of attention to safety rules and practices -IMNSHO I'm also very personally attached to these and like proximity to one at least. __________________ OJ - SEMPER FI - DUTY, HONOR, COUNTRY NRA ENDOWMENT LIFE MEMBER Last edited by OJ; September 8, 2006 at 05:24 PM.

September 8, 2006, 07:19 PM	#25
John28226 Senior Member Join Date: May 28, 2005 Location: North Carolina Posts: 292	On Call I am the person that responds to alarms at my company - I always have a gun either on my belt or at my side. Since I don't have a crystal ball and cannot predict exactly when I will need to be armed, it makes sense to me to always be armed! I am insured 24/7 too. Most of the time I don't need my insurance. I'll let those who know when they will need whatever they will need it be the ones to do differently. John Charlotte, NC

September 7, 2006, 09:50 PM	#2
tony pasley Senior Member Join Date: April 13, 2006 Location: western north carolina Posts: 1,641	for some it is getting comfortable with carring a firearm, others it could be that it is not even thought of when a person gets home, others may not live in good nieghborhood

September 7, 2006, 09:53 PM	#3
Quintin Member Join Date: July 4, 2006 Posts: 33	Once upon a time in my area, there was a rash of home invasions; I want to be sure to "greet" these unwelcome guests if necessary. And when I first started carrying, I carried a lot around the house just to get comfortable with it. It's just force of habit now - I feel incomplete with my CCW.

September 7, 2006, 09:58 PM	#4
Series 70 Member Join Date: May 18, 2004 Location: Minnesota Posts: 23	Last summer in a nearby affluent suburb, a home was broken into at about 8:30pm and the residents beaten and robbed. A few months ago another home in another neaby suburb was invaded by goblins mistaking the resident for someone else. He survived, but spent a week or so in the hospital. These two cases come quickly to mind, but there are many more examples out there. More than enough reasons to carry at home. I also find that I don't forget my pistol when I run errands if it's always on my belt.

September 7, 2006, 10:09 PM	#5
rhino Member Join Date: August 25, 2005 Location: Indiana Posts: 80	1. I don't know when I will need my gun. If I did, I would be somewhere else at the time. Serious home invasions may not be common, but all it takes is one time. 2. If I need it, I will need it immediately and I may not have time to even take a couple of steps to where something is "stashed." 3. If it's on my person, it is always in my control, so I don't have to worry about unauthorized access. Essentially I carry when I'm at home for the same reasons I carry when I'm not at home.

September 7, 2006, 11:24 PM	#9
Raytracer Senior Member Join Date: November 25, 2004 Posts: 117	See also, the Clutter family circa 1959. Joe

September 8, 2006, 12:37 AM	#11
skeeter1 Senior Member Join Date: April 11, 2006 Location: Northeast Ohio Posts: 3,403	I've only carried in my home on a couple of occassions. On one, there were cops with guns drawn circling around the house behind me. Turned out to be a false alarm, but I locked the doors and stuffed the .38 in my pocket. I can't recall the exact details of the other occasion, but there was a teenager party across the street (I don't think the parents were home). When I got up the next morning there were several beer bottles, a tampon, and a used condom left on my treelawn. It was a fairly rowdy party, and someone eventuallly called the police (not me) and the cops shut it down. I rarely carry in the house, but I do keep a loaded snubby in my bedroom, close at hand.

September 8, 2006, 10:01 AM	#12
divemedic Senior Member Join Date: August 12, 2006 Posts: 1,310	http://www.kokomotribune.com/local/l...248133338.html

September 8, 2006, 10:03 AM	#13
atlctyslkr Senior Member Join Date: March 6, 2006 Location: Atlanta, GA Posts: 613	I don't carry but I keep something within easy access. Crime is up in my area and a block from me the cops caught a guy trying to pick a back door lock about two weeks ago. This was early evening when people were obviously home. Since I don't have any children it's no sweat to keep an 870 chambered and stacked at all times.

September 8, 2006, 11:54 AM	#14
cloudcroft Senior Member Join Date: August 5, 2006 Location: Colorado Springs, CO Posts: 565	JayP228, I also think that havng a particular mindset to carry all the time is either in you -- part of your psychological makeup -- or it isn't...as the saying goes, for the former individual, no explanation is necessary and for the latter, no explanation will really suffice. Personally, I carry ALL the time EVERYWHERE I go, and on my person at home. Lying on the couch or in the bathroom, it doesn't matter...it's always there. Am I paranoid? Don't think so, and so far the VA doctors haven't labeled me as such, but I do admit that lots of "regular" folks probably think so...probably, that is, until THEY find themselves in trouble -- which can happen ANY time -- and then realize, hopefully not too late, that maybe there really IS a point to all this after all. -- John D.

September 8, 2006, 12:06 PM	#15
Wildalaska Junior member Join Date: November 25, 2002 Location: In my own little weird world in Anchorage, Alaska Posts: 14,172	I base my life on probabilities, therefore, I wear a Kevalr helmet to protect from meteor impacts instead of carrying in my house. WildilovethesethreadsAlaska

September 8, 2006, 12:08 PM	#17
MK11 Senior Member Join Date: April 26, 2001 Posts: 577	I sleep with one eye open and my hand taped to the stock of a cut-down Stoeger coach gun. Everybody decideds for themselves when it's appropriate. Personally, if I felt the need to carry every waking moment in my own home, I'd move. I'm counting on locks, dogs and general awareness to give me enough time to access a firearm. Some people here would call that naive. Other people might call that paranoid. Figure out your own comfort level.

September 8, 2006, 01:03 PM	#21
RickB Senior Member Join Date: March 1, 2000 Location: Boise, ID Posts: 8,518	A buddy was standing in his kitchen, making lunch, when a guy burst through the open side door and beat him to the ground. It's a nice neighborhood, my buddy is a nice guy, but if a roommate hadn't been home to break it up, I'd think a gun might have come in handy. Even though such events are statistically unlikely (as is being involved in a fatal car accident, for instance), that odesn't mean one isn't better off being prepared for such an occurence (seat belt fastened?).

September 8, 2006, 04:32 PM	#22
Bud Helms Senior Member Join Date: December 31, 1999 Location: Middle Georgia, USA Posts: 13,198	It's already been said, but if you know when you will need your weapon, you'd know when to carry and when it wasn't really necessary. Real life isn't The Highlander, where your dangerous enemies honor Holy ground. There's nothing special about your home to a goblin. That's why they call it breaking and entering or burglary. Because it is a transgression onto and into someone's private property and life with intent, or at least willingness, to harm. If we all had a crystal ball, we could get up in the morning, gaze into it and say, "Yup, I'm gonna need my pistol about 1:30 PM, 'cause some one's gonna try to rob me on the way back from lunch." OR ... I could look into that crystal ball and see my future til the day I die and see that I'll never come within a mile of any violence or intent to cause harm to me or my family. In that case I could sell all my carry choices and just keep the ones I enjoy at the range and for hunting. 'Problem is, we don't know and we chose to be prepared. Now, you must also be prepared to not be prepared. That is, a pistol on your hip does not make you alert or create a protective aura around you. It does not make you invulnerable or invisible. It just gives you another choice. In today's world of goblins that will have their way with sheep, it can make the difference. Better to have it and never need it than to need it once and not have it.

September 8, 2006, 05:47 PM	#24
bobhwry Junior member Join Date: April 5, 2006 Posts: 530	I firmly believe that the questions about Whether to Carry?, How to Carry?, and When to Carry? are all very personal choices that depend on many factors like perceived risk, your family situation, your level of expertise and comfort, enviroment etc. I feel blessed that we live in a country where those choices are still available to us.There is no "one size fits all" answer to these questions, each one of us needs to decide for ourselves. I personally don't subscribe to the mentality that their's a BG around every corner or behind every tree.That's a little too paranoid for me and would alter my lifestyle in ways that I choose not to accept. I keep a gun in my car, keep one on the bed stand and for me feel adequately protected. Having one in my pocket or on my hip at all times is overkill for me. If it works for you that's great and I won't question your right to do so.